Through the first two months of 2009 Cooperative Program (CP) missions giving from North Carolina Baptist churches held closely to the levels of 2008, according to the monthly report from the Baptist State Convention (BSC) comptroller.

Income of $5.63 million is just a half percentage point behind last year for the same period, although it is 11.3 percent behind a budget approved in 2007. A practical budget has been adjusted internally by BSC staff to be more closely in line with anticipated receipts.

All four giving plans are still active during 2009, although messengers in November 2008 adopted a single giving plan to begin in 2010.

Oddly, gifts through Plan D, which has grown steadily and significantly since it was introduced in 1999, are down 12.3 percent. That decline likely is reflected in the 6.3 percent increase in Plan A, the original and primary CP giving plan. Plan D provides just 50 percent of its receipts to the work of the BSC, compared to the 66 percent of Plan A.

Plan C continues its downward trajectory with a decline of 12.3 percent as churches that typically give through that plan engage more fully with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina. Gifts through Plan C of $234,600 are equal to just six percent of gifts through Plan A.

Through February $3.6 million of the $5.63 million received came through Plan A. Plan B, with receipts of $426,739, is down 3.3 percent.

After dreadful drops in 2008, gifts to international missions and to North American missions through the Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong offerings are up 10.9 and 47 percent respectively. Gifts to the North Carolina Missions Offering are down 10 percent to date.

ABOUT THE BIBLICAL RECORDER
Since 1833 the Biblical Recorder has served North Carolina Baptists as the Baptist State Convention's official news journal - with the emphasis on news. The paper was founded by Thomas Meredith, an early pastor, writer and denominational statesman in North Carolina.